Swanepoel soars at USSA Champs

Phillip Swanepoel from Stellenbosch University claimed the Individual Competition in the 36-hole Stroke Play qualifier at the USSA Championship on Tuesday.

Swanepoel’s well-timed five-under-par 67 at Port Shepstone Golf Club carried him to the top of the standings and also helped Maties 1 to a tie for fifth in the final Teams Standings.

Christiaan Rossouw (78) and Riaan Schmulian (80) added to the teams’ second round score of 225.

The side tied with 443 North West University Pukke 1 (221-222), comfortably securing a spot in the top eight teams that will contest the A-Division of the Inter-Institutional Match Play Championship.

Swanepoel triumphed on six-under-par 138.

He finished one stroke clear of ABW van Zyl (69-70) from Central University of Technology Free State and two shots ahead of Stefan Wears-Taylor (69-73) from North West University – Pukke 1.

But was a day that University of Pretoria player Reinhardt Blaauw would rather forget.

Blaauw won the qualifier on debut last year and rushed into the first round lead with a 67, but a disappointing 80 in the second round dropped the Tuks Golf Academy player well down the final leaderboard.

Skipper Marco Loubser set the pace for Tuks 1 with a 72, while Ryan Lane added a 75. Stephen Morrison also contributed an 80 and the team finished on 226.

Tuks 1 tied for second with Central University of Technology Free State (220-218) on 438, while Varsity College 1 blew the opposition away to claim the top spot.

Michael Ryan and Colin Campher led the attack for Varsity College 1 with 71s. Clayton Mansfield contributed a 73 to take their second round tally to 215, which pushed them into first place in the Stroke Play Qualifier on 436.

Tuks are hunting their 10th title and a hat-trick of wins in the University Sport South Africa event and will throw everything into repeat success in the Inter-Institutional Match Play Championship, which gets underway on Wednesday.

INDIVIDUAL LEADERBOARD – Top 10
138 Phillip Swanepoel 71-67
139 ABW van Zyl 69-70
140 Stefan Wears-Taylor 69-73
143 Clayton Mansfield 70-73
144 Marco Loubser 72-72; Francois Kruger 72-72
146 Reinhardt Blaauw 67-79; Colin Baldie 72-74; Johannes Brophy 72-74; Michael Ryan 75-71
147 Colin Campher 76-71
148 Ryan Lane 73-75; DP van Zyl 74-74

TEAM STANDINGS
436 Varsity College 1 (221-215)
438 Central University of Technology Free State (220-218); University of Pretoria 1 (212-226)
441 Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University 1 (217-224)
443 North West University Pukke 1 (221-222); Stellenbosch University 1 (218-225)
449 University of Pretoria 2 (226-223)
452 Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University 2 (227-225)
460 Rhodes University 1 (230-230); North West University Pukke 2 (224-226)
467 Cape Peninsula University of Technology 1 (236-231)
469 University of Johannesburg 1 (243-226); Varsity College 2 (237-232)
470 University of Cape Town 1 (235-235)
472 Rhodes University 2 (230-242)
478 Centurion Academy 1 (238-240)
480 University of Johannesburg 2 (242-238)
484 Stellenbosch University 2 (244-240)
493 University of Cape Town 2 (251-242)
507 North West University Vaal (254-253)
508 Cape Peninsula University of Technology 2 (255-253)
580 University of Zululand (261-267)

Written and released by Lali Stander on behalf of the USSA Championship and the South African Golf Association.

Posted in